


Becoming Human

by KizaKurosaki15, Lady_Zephyr, niconicoNecromancer



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Aranea - Leviathan, Astrals AU, Because They're Gods, Big 'ol House on the Hill, Everything is Magic, Gladio - Titan, Ignis - Shiva, Implied Torture, Lunafreya - Ramuh, M/M, Magic, Memory Loss, Multi, Noctis - Bahamut, Pining, Prompto - Ifrit, Slow Burn, Someone Has A Bad Time, Starvation, The Characters Have Astral Powers, Where Else Would They Live, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 06:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15835299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KizaKurosaki15/pseuds/KizaKurosaki15, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Zephyr/pseuds/Lady_Zephyr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/niconicoNecromancer/pseuds/niconicoNecromancer
Summary: After facing Ardyn alone, Ignis loses the fight and with it his memories. His power wanes as long as he cannot remember being the vessel of Shiva, and memory of the astral itself begins to vanish from the world.  After watching Prompto walk away with Ardyn, Ignis believes Prompto to be his accomplice. But when Ignis begins receiving dreams of Prompto being abused and tormented, he begins to think differently. Just who is this boy he keeps dreaming of, and what connection does he have to Ignis’ missing memories?





	Becoming Human

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends and welcome to something completely different than what I normally write!
> 
> The idea for this fic began in a group chat on the FFXV Amino, and the more we talked about it, the bigger the story grew! To be honest, the others came up with the fabulous Astrals AU idea where each of the characters houses the power of the astrals within them, and some really awesome stories came out of that. This one technically falls somewhere in the middle of the timeline, but it's the one that I had the clearest idea for so I'm writing it first. 
> 
> Thanks Iggy and Unit.  
> You guys are the best.

The first thing he feels is the stinging cold. It’s a sharp biting pain, like he’s frozen through to the marrow. Ignis is on his knees curling into himself with his arms wrapped tightly around his body. His teeth chatter and his breath escapes in tiny, frozen puffs of air. His thin shirt and jeans do nothing to shield him from the cold.

In front of him a man is laughing. His dark, heavy boots come into view against the snowy ground as he approaches Ignis. He inhales a shaky breath and Ignis forces himself to look up at the visitor standing before him. His eyes travel over the long, extravagant coat, a vest with a ruffled shirt, before skipping over the evil grimace to take in wine colored hair. His sly grin spreads even wider as he stares down Ignis. Beneath the man’s gaze he feels like a fly trapped in a spider’s web. 

“You should have known better than to challenge me alone, Frostbringer.” He says. “I do wonder what your friends will have to say when they learn of my victory today. Perhaps I should use this chance to be rid of you once and for all. Wouldn’t our dear draconian friend be upset if that were to happen?”

Ignis is unprepared for the hard kick that sends him tumbling backward. His head is spinning from the impact and he is trying to catch his breath when that same boot plants itself firmly on his chest, pressure increasing with every passing second. A loud crack echoes throughout the space and Ignis cries out in pain. He is struggling to breathe and he can’t decide which is worse, being frozen to death or being crushed. 

His lungs burn and his vision starts to go fuzzy when the weight suddenly disappears. He takes in a large breath and regrets it immediately, the pain slicing through his damaged form. 

“Ardyn, stop! _You can’t!_ ” 

Ignis opens his eyes enough to take in the sight of a new person blocking him from the man with the coat - Ardyn. The young man’s hair is a vibrant blonde that radiates sunlight, and for a moment Ignis swears he can see flames rolling through the upright locks. 

“And why, pray tell, can I not? Are you going to stop me?” The deep timbre of Ardyn’s voice is poetic and floats through the air like a song. He sounds as if he were speaking to a child - amusement with a hint of disappointment. “Oh, young one, your bravery makes me laugh. Now step aside. I’m sure Noctis wouldn’t want to lose two of his closest friends in one day.”

The blonde stands his ground. Ignis blinks and when he opens his eyes again the blonde is falling to the ground. Words are exchanged, but Ignis can’t hear what’s being said. His vision is beginning to slip and it’s almost too painful to breathe. He tries to open his eyes, and through blurred vision he sees Ardyn helping the blonde man to his feet. The last thing he sees before he loses consciousness is the two men walking away together.

 

\-----XV-----XV-----XV-----XV-----

 

The next time Ignis wakes he is in a room that is familiar, although he doesn’t know why. The bed beneath him is soft and the breeze that floats through the room is cool and sweet. It reminds him of something he vaguely recognizes - a distant memory, one he can’t seem to remember. He instinctively reaches to his right and picks a pair of glasses from the bedside table. They rest comfortably on his nose, and through them the room comes into sharp clarity.

The walls of the room are a pale blue, and are decorated with large elaborate paintings. A desk inhabits one corner flanked by an impressive array of overelaborate bookcases. The shelves are lined with old tomes describing the history of the world, of politics, and even some books from the astrals themselves. He’s not sure how he knows this, but he’s positive of their content.

A small sound comes from beside his four-poster bed. Delicate curtains adorn the posts and sway gently in the breeze. Ignis looks to his right, for the window letting the breeze in and is surprised to see a woman seated in the window booth. She is partially obscured by fluttering drapes, but as the breeze dies down she emerges from the shifting fabric. 

Ignis is captivated by the light blonde hair braided elegantly against her scalp, and as his gaze shifts downward he follows the long white dress flowing around her body. Where her skin is uncovered she seems to radiate light. Ignis cannot recall if he has ever seen a creature so beautiful in his life. 

“Where am I?” He whispers. He is afraid she might startle and scatter like a frightened deer if he speaks too loudly. 

“You’re home. This is your room.” She rises from her seat and approaches the bed, taking a seat next to him at the edge. “How are you feeling, Ignis?” She places a hand over top of his and a tingling warmth spreads through him. 

“I suppose I have been better. Please forgive my rudeness, but who are you? How did I get here?”

“I am Lunafreya Nox Fluret. Oracle to the people of Eos and vessel of the Fulgurian. Tell me, what is the last thing you remember?”

The Fulgurian. An astral perhaps? It would explain her ethereal beauty. He pushes the thoughts from his mind and focuses on the questions she asked.

“A man with hair like wine accompanied by someone much younger. He wore a vest with a large skull on the back.” His brow furrows in concentration. The memories try to replay in his mind, but the words are lost and the images vague and fuzzy. “One was named Ardyn, but the other… I can’t seem to recall. I remember watching them walk away together, like they were partners. I- I think they did this to me.” 

Ignis pulls his hand away from Lunafreya’s and touches his chest gently. Smooth bandages circle his torso. He traces the cotton bands, fixated on the crossing patterns they make. When his eyes fall on his arms, he notices they too are decorated with cuts and bruises. He doesn’t remember how it happened, but to be this damaged he knows he must have been in a dire situation.

“Miss, would you mind closing the window? It’s a bit chilly in here.” 

The woman’s eyebrows raise in surprise, but moves to close the window anyway. “Are you sure you’re cold? And is that all you remember?” 

Ignis shakes his head. A dull ache is forming behind his eyes, pressing against the muscles there.  
“I feel like there’s something more... something important I’m supposed to be doing, but I can’t remember what.” He exhales a heavy sigh and removes his glasses, folding the arms and placing them back on the side table. He then lays back and pulls the covers up to his chin. “I’m sorry, but my head is killing me. Would you mind coming back a little later?”

“Of course, Ignis. If you need anything, you only need call.” As she turns to walk toward the door her dress rustles and Ignis hears a quiet crackle, like a lightning strike from a distant storm. He focuses on her form as she moves toward the door. Her long dress trails behind her like a cloud and gives the impression that she is floating. 

_My eyes must be playing tricks on me._ He watches until she glides out of the room, closing the heavy-looking wooden door with a soft click. 

Right now everything hurts. He can feel his heartbeat through every cut and pulsing just behind his eyes. He knows this place is safe, although he cannot remember how he came to be here, and with a comfortable bed beneath him he closes his eyes and hopes his dreams will reveal the answer to him.

 

\-----XV-----XV-----XV-----XV-----

 

_The blonde man sits in a small, dark cell. The room must be terribly cold because the young man’s breath escapes his body in great puffs of smoke. If Ignis didn’t know any better he might think the young man was a dragon, ready to breathe fire onto the first person to unknowingly enter his cage._

_Ignis is standing on the other side of the bars, staring in at the captive man. After several minutes the blonde finally stands and approaches the door. He is stopped just out of arms reach by a slim silver chain connecting a shackle on his ankle to the farthest corner of the room. The man pulls until the chain is taught and then leans forward with his arms outstretched. He is mere inches from the bars when he loses his footing and crashes onto the stone floor._

_“Ooh, you nearly had it that time!” A cheery voice sounds. Ardyn strolls past Ignis as if he is invisible and makes his way into the cell. Upon his entry, Ignis realizes there is no key or lock attached to the bars, nothing really keeping the blonde man trapped except that single chain._

_“What do you want?” The blonde asks, his words full of venom. He picks himself off the ground and stares down the visitor._

_“I have a job for you. You may not like it, but maybe it’ll give you a taste of freedom.”_

_“Whatever, just get me out of this place.”_

_“What an eager young man you are, Prompto!” Ardyn coos. With a snap of his fingers, the chain vanishes and Ignis watches as Prompto follows Ardyn out of the cell and into the darkness of the hallway beyond._

 

\-----XV-----XV-----XV-----XV-----

 

_What an eager young man you are, Prompto!_

_Prompto…_

_Prom…_

Ignis wakes with a jolt. Dim light filters through the window as dusk quickly approaches. Ignis rolls onto his back and covers his face with a sweaty palm. 

What a disturbing dream. It almost seems like the blonde was a prisoner, but he was definitely working with Ardyn at the end. Why would he dream something like this? Ignis has only had the one, brief interaction with the two men. So why are they invading his dreams?

He sits up and blinks against the dying light. He needs answers, and he needs them sooner rather than later. Gathering up his strength he stands from the bed. The first few steps are shaky - his arms are stretched out as a counterbalance, he looks like a kitten just learning to walk. 

Perhaps he had been laying in that bed longer than he thought. Or maybe he sustained more damage in that fight than he anticipated. 

With a triumphant smile, he sinks into the window seat Lunafreya had occupied during her earlier visit. Ignis turns to gaze out the window and the view before him makes his breath hitch.

He’s high up. _Very high up._ In that moment, he forgets all about his dream and instead focuses entirely on the building and its surroundings.

The house is perched upon a hill with rolling clouds floating far below. He leans forward a bit and looks at the flat wall of stone that makes up the residence. The house is a mansion in every right. Leaning through the window and gazing around, Ignis thinks he must be on the third floor. Large windows decorate the building, some softly glowing with light, others dark and empty. At the corner of the house stands a lovely round spire. He wonders how many other people are living in this house, and which one of those windows with the lights might belong to Lunafreya.

As his gaze shifts toward the horizon,for the first time he realizes it is almost completely silent here. The wind whispers as the clouds meld together, but there are no real noises, manmade or from animals.

The clouds far below catch his attention. If he had only spared them a passing glance, he might have thought them to be normal clouds, but the closer he looks the more he realizes they’re something more. Light colors roll between the fluffy peaks. A splash of blue here, a swirl of violet there, a sudden burst of yellow sparkles that fade into red and then grey. Between the faint patches of color he catches glimpses of the world below - a bustling tropic city, a lush forest, grim icy peaks. 

Ignis loses track of time and before he knows it, the sun is almost set and he’s struggling to see the world below the clouds. 

It’s hard to force himself back into a standing position, but somehow he manages.It’s time to see what lies beyond this room. If the mansion is truly as big as it seems he needs to meet some of the other inhabitants. Perhaps he will even come across Lunafreya again. 

Ignis shuffles across the room, his steps unwavering. Slowly, ever so slowly, he crosses the carpeted expanse and places a hand on the cold metal door knob. He leans into the door to catch his breath. These first steps were harder than he imagined they would be, but he can’t give up now. Determined, he turns the knob and as he pulls them open, he finds the doors to be much lighter than he had imagined. 

Ignis steps through the doors and into an elaborate hallway. He is shocked by the beauty of the place. The doors are adorned with delicately detailed moulding, pedestal’s hug the walls and support cases with beautiful pottery and sculptures. Even the rug under his feet seems expensive and exotic. 

He turns to look back into his room, comparing it with the hall. Although his room is more plain, the details that exist are just as carefully carved as the adornments in the hallway. He cannot even begin to calculate how long it must have taken to build this place, nor can he fathom how much money must have gone into its construction. How many staff members must the mansion employ just to keep everything looking as spotless and bright as it does?

Coming back to the task at hand, Ignis takes a few shaky steps into the hall. He can almost feel his strength returning and by the time he is halfway to the staircase at the end he is taking full, albeit slow steps. He pauses intermittently to admire the decorations on the pedestals. The bust of a draconian being catches his eye. It’s jet black exterior seems fierce and he is impressed by all of the tiny, intricate details on the wings and tail. By the time he reaches the end of the hall, his breathing is strained. He leans against the wooden railing to catch his breath again and when he looks up, he forgets how to breathe. 

Recessed in the ceiling oculus is the most beautiful painting he has ever laid eyes on. He knows immediately that the painting depicts the astrals in all of their glory.The center of the painting is the world of Eos, surrounded by its six astral protectors. Each being stands across from the god of the opposite element. Altogether the painting shows the glory of the astrals being bestowed upon the world. 

As he takes in each god, his eyes rest for a moment too long on Ifrit, the diety of fire. His section burns brightly and across from his fiery throne is a forest of ice. A woman stands tall, her arms wide and welcoming. This section of the the painting is dull in comparison to the other five. The lively glow seems extinguished and as Ignis remembers the names of the other five, he can’t seem to recall who this woman is. 

It hits him suddenly, that everything he’s seen so far has been representative of a different astral. The decorative paintings on the walls, the sculptures, the elaborate wooden details, even the red carpets and the blue paint of his room. It’s as if the house itself is a testament to the strength of the gods.

Ignis’ mind is racing. Everything is just too much. What has he done to wake up in a place like this? Just who are the people who rescued him? 

His knees grow weak and as he sinks to the cold floor he grips the spindles of the banister, peering through the spaces between to see the hall below. A single thought floats through his mind as he tries to grasp the situation.

_What is this place?_

**Author's Note:**

> We would love to know what you think!  
> Feel free to leave comments below!


End file.
